Miami-Dade School Board To Hold Emergency Meeting Tuesday

MIAMI, FL – The Miami-Dade County school board will hold a special board meeting Tuesday to discuss the school's reopening schedule.

School board officials are expected to discuss revising the adopted school reopening timeline in order to allow students to return to in-person instruction as early as Monday.

The school board will also discuss authorizing the superintendent to take necessary action to secure approval from the Florida Department of Education of the revised reopening timeline.

Last week, the school board voted not to reopen schools for in-person learning until Oct. 14. The school board had considered a proposal by Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to begin opening up brick-and-mortar classrooms as an option for parents earlier in the month, but it opted unanimously for the later date after hearing from the community.

Following last week's decision, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran wrote a letter to Miami-Dade County Public Schools calling for schools to be fully re-opened by Oct. 5, saying he had "grave concerns" about the decision.

"This delay is extremely difficult for the students with individualized educational plans whose families count on the public education system for critical specialized services," he said in the letter. "It is also harmful for students who are experiencing violence, abuse, and food insecurity in their homes going unnoticed, many of whom were already struggling to close the achievement gap and will now fall even further behind."

The Florida Department of Education finalized its reopening plan at the end of July.